Summer's Conflict
by AlexACheevy
Summary: Lauren has just ended her relationship with Ace, but could a new romance be in bloom for the summer when she meets Chris Chambers?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Ahh warm weather always gets me in the mood for Stand By Me fanfic **

"So what do you want to do?" She heard him ask her, but didn't look up. She remained focused on the frayed canvas of her Keds and shrugged her shoulders. Tears threatened, but she refused to let them spill over. She would never allow him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and finally looked up at him. She could smell his aftershave and somehow that brought a fresh wave of sadness over her.

She had known it was only a matter of time before he broke up with her. He was too old for her, really, although she didn't want to admit it, not even to herself. Ace Merrill had everything: good looks, a cool car, and a reputation. It was only logical that he would want to be free for the summer which had just begun.

"I guess I'll just walk home." She shrugged her shoulders and finally met his eyes. She couldn't read his expression. She wondered briefly if he would miss her, and then shoved the thought out of her mind. "It's getting late anyway." Hopefully she was doing a good job of pretending she didn't care that he had just ended things between them. It would be hard seeing him around town all summer, a new girl on his arm every weekend, but she was strong and she could handle it. There were other boys out there and maybe she could find a summer romance of her own. She turned her back on him and took a step in the direction of home.

"Lauren.." Ace called after her, and she stopped and turned to face him. Hope filled her heart that he had changed her mind. "I had fun, kid." He lit a cigarette and got into his car, not even sparing a glance in his rear view mirror at her. She let out an exasperated laugh. She didn't know what else to do, and soon she was doubled over giggling. She wondered if she had gone insane as she began to walk towards her house again, but quickly decided that she didn't care.

Her giggling fit had subsided by the time she got to her house, and she was glad for it. She didn't want to wake up her mother; she wasn't supposed to be out this late. She slipped off her heels as she walked onto the porch and quietly opened the wooden front door. Her eyes adjusted to the dark and she became confident that she could get into bed undiscovered. She crept up the stairs and slid out of her dress and in between the covers. As she lay there in the quiet darkness, she began to realize that Ace breaking up with her could be a blessing in disguise. She was only sixteen after all, she didn't need to be tied down. She did miss him, though. He had been her first and although she hadn't meant much to him, he meant a whole lot to her.

They had met at the winter carnival that was held in Castle Rock every year in the high school auditorium. He had won her a stuff dog, and things had just taken off from there. It would be strange for her, no longer seeing him after school, but she thought she could adjust. By the time the end of school had come around, the bad times had begun to outweigh the good. He had called her names, taken her for granted, struck her on one occasion in front of a roomful of his buddies, and she had suspected he had fooled around on her. She had no proof of this, it was only suspicion but it had been on her mind a lot in the past few weeks. With all of this, she was able to convince herself she was glad to be rid of Ace Merrill and closed her eyes, sleeping soundly through the night as the cool summer night's breeze blew in through her window. As she awoke in the morning, however, she would have a vague recollection of a dream in which Ace Merrill had held her in his arms.


	2. Chapter 2

Lauren was glad that her mother was already gone to work by the time she woke up. They hadn't been getting along lately and she didn't have the strength to fight with her today. She was hot and sticky from sleeping in the summer heat and took a shower first thing. She didn't have any idea what she was going to do today. There was no school and normally she would have spent her time with Ace, but obviously that was out of the question. She decided she might just go for a walk get some fresh air.

As soon as she was dressed and ready she was out the door. It was still early, so the day was pleasantly warm, as opposed to the miserable heat the sun would be radiating later in the day. A cool breeze blew her hair back from her forehead and she allowed herself to get lost in her thoughts.

She had walked for about an hour when she saw a figure coming her way. It was a boy, but she couldn't tell who it was from this distance. In a town as small as Castle Rock it must be someone she knew, though. She raised her hand in a friendly wave, wondering if maybe she had found someone to spend the day with. He returned the wave and she realized that she did know the boy, it was Chris Chambers. Her heart sank a little as her hopes of having some company dissipated a little. She did know him, but they had never had a real conversation before. As they got closer, he started to walk by and then paused.

"How's your summer?" He asked. She admired him for being so polite to take the time to ask.

"Good." She smiled at him and began to feel brave. What would it hurt to ask him to have lunch with her? If he said no, she would be a little embarrassed, but she had been embarrassed much before and lived through it. "I was actually just thinking I was getting hungry. I know this may be a little strange, but I don't have anyone to go with and was wondering if maybe you'd like to join me at the diner?" She asked. Her face began to turn red as the words left her mouth. What was she thinking? They barely knew each other. Of course he wasn't going to have lunch with her. He probably already had other plans anyway.

He shrugged his shoulders, "Why not? I could eat." Relief filed Lauren's body and she sighed.

As they walked down to the diner, conversation flowed easily between them. Lauren knew that Chris was Eyeball's little brother, but Ace had rarely brought her around his friends so she felt no need to mention it to him. She didn't want to think about Ace anyway. They talked about school and the teachers they hated and expressed anticipation for all they would do this summer. By the time they entered the restaurant it felt as if they had been friends for years and Lauren was proud of herself for asking him to join her.

"So where were you walking to?" She asked, looking at him from across the table.

Chris shrugged and picked up a menu, "Nowhere, really. Just wanted to get away from the house."

Lauren smiled, "I thought I was the only one who did that."

They talked as they ate and Lauren was genuinely enjoying Chris's company. She couldn't be sure, but she thought perhaps Chris felt the same. The sense of being lost that she had felt this morning was gone and the idea of spending the summer with Chris Chambers began tugging at the back of her mind as they sat in the dining booth and ate their food. Ace was the farthest thing from her mind. They lingered for a while at the table before paying their checks and exiting the restaurant.

As soon as they turned the corner a hand reached out and pushed Chris against the wall. It happened too fast for Lauren to feel anything other than confusing until she saw who the hand belonged to.

"You've got some pretty big balls thinking you can take my girl out for lunch, Chambers." Ace looked him in the eyes threateningly.

Chris looked at Lauren and then back at Ace. "I didn't know. I didn't take her out, we just ate together. Lay of me, alright?" He didn't want a fight, he just wanted the situation to dissolve.

"I'm not your girl anymore, Ace. Let him go. He didn't do anything." Lauren's voice remained steady. She should have known Ace would give her some kind of hassle, regardless of the fact that he was the one who ended things.

Ace turned his attention back to Chris and let go of the hold he had on the collar of his shirt. He smoothed the shirt out in a mock gesture of friendliness and then drove his knee into Chris's unsuspecting crotch. Chris let out a surprised grunt and then slid down the wall of the building and onto the ground. Ace smiled at both of them and then sauntered off as Lauren knelt down to help her new friend, although she now feared as to whether or not this would be the last time Chris, or any boy in Castle Rock for that matter, ever dared to share her company.


End file.
